Near misses, are early warning signs that something in your safety system isn’t working

Although no one gets hurt and no damage occurs, near misses reveal underlying hazards that could lead to serious injuries or fatalities if left unchecked.

A FISA member shares examples of taking action and learning from two near miss incidents in the workplace, and this shows why near misses play an important role in health and safety strategies.

NRW shared learning on two near miss incidents:  These were defined as serious incidents and were investigated as such.  Lessons learnt documents have been circulated and appropriate actions carried out. 

Summary as follows:

• Incident 1: An excavator crossed a buried power cable and entered an incorrect area during harvesting setup. No injuries occurred, but significant safety breaches were identified, including inadequate planning, poor contractor induction, lack of supervision, and insufficient risk assessments. Contributory factors included operator inexperience, failure to follow safe working procedures, and communication gaps between the FWM and the contractor. This was a standing sale, so NRW were not FWM.
• Incident 2: A forwarder operator stacked timber within an unmarked exclusion zone above underground power cables. No injuries or damage occurred, but the review identified inadequate planning, lack of exclusion zone marking, poor communication, insufficient supervision, and risk assessments that did not sufficiently address the electrical hazards present on site. Contributory factors included failure to follow the NRW Standard Operating Protocol for working within windfarms and omission of key safety measures in contractor documentation.

Actions taken: The pre-commencement process has been strengthened to ensure all operators receive a formal site induction, with NRW Contract Managers required to obtain documented assurance from the Forestry Works Manager (FWM). A new PCM meeting is now mandatory if the site has been inactive for three months or more, when there is a change of FWM or Contract Manager, or where site conditions have altered. Site Specific Conditions issued at the point of sale now include a dedicated section for standing sales on energy development sites, requiring purchasers to comply fully with the Standard Operating Protocol. Enhanced monitoring will be implemented to embed these actions effectively and reinforce a strong safety culture.